By Dave Donnelly

Sunday, November 10, 2002

1976: The Rev. Abraham Akaka
can be reached upstairs

A FILM about the Honolulu Fire Department, to be called "Hawaiian Smoke Eaters," begins shooting next week, using the Universal Studios equipment the "McCloud" folks were using. The action-drama will be feature-length, and chances are it will be peddled as a pilot for a TV series. Edward Forsythe is directing. (Nov. 14, 1973) ...

WHEN Bill Coney called Kawaiaha'o Church to ask Rev. Abraham Akaka to give a blessing at an upcoming event, he did a double take when the voice on the other end of the phone intoned, "To reach Rev. Akaka you have to call upstairs." He then did a triple take when the voice continued, "And ask for Grace." (Nov. 10, 1976) ... Ed Sheehan was walking along Kahala Beach the other day when he spotted PR exec John Spierling and a date. Admiring the whale's tooth necklace the young lady was wearing, Sheehan remarked, "That's a nice little item you have there." To which Spierling, without missing a beat, quipped, "Thanks." Male chauvinist to the core. (Nov. 12, 1975) ...

LOOKING for some place a bit different to take visiting firemen? You might drive them up to Spalding House, the Makiki Heights extension of the Academy of Arts, for the new Thursday afternoon tea time. Gallery visitors are served on the lanai overlooking the famed Spalding gardens. Juliet Wichman made a special trip from Kauai for last week's tea and was greeted by her daughter-in-law, Jeanne, who is a volunteer chairman. The "oasis of serenity," as Jeanne calls it, will be available at tea time every Thursday except Thanksgiving. (Nov. 16, 1976) ...

ABOUT six months ago a group of L.A. friends had a party where everyone was supposed to come packed and ready for a trip to Hawaii. The couple whose names were drawn got the trip. Now a San Francisco group has pulled the same stunt, anteing up $25 per couple for a Polynesian party and a chance for a Hawaii trip. The winners, Linda Laing and Richard Seiferheld, ended up at the Halekulani, but two other couples made a last-minute decision to pay full fare and join them on the United trip over. Even the losers did OK -- they ended up at the Lombard Street digs of Bobby Wellbeloved (that's her name) for a Polynesian feast and pretended they were in Hawaii. (Nov. 13, 1977) ...

BEAUTIFUL Charlene Paulo, one of the knockout daughters of piano man Rene Paulo and wife Akemi, is the 1984 Crazy Shirts calendar girl, in a photo by Joe Carini. Charlene is pictured atop a white horse with flowers in her hair and wearing the new Crazy Shirts logo. From all appearances, 1984 is going to be a beautiful year. (Nov. 11, 1983) ...

MACADAMIA mogul Anita DeDomenico is once again suggesting the world's largest candy bar as a Christmas gift for the friend who has (nearly) everything. It contains 20 pounds of nuts, 40 pounds of chocolate and is shipped in a wooden crate. It costs $495. Too much? Then there's an "almost largest" bar for $49.50 that weighs a mere 5 pounds. (Nov. 14, 1984) ... Sam Slom notes that Bank of Hawaii is sending out invitations to subscribe to the Wall Street Journal, but small print says, "Prices good in the continental U.S., for a limited time only." Thanks a lot. (Nov. 15, 1985) ...

"Uncle" Arthur Lyman, the Big Island patrician and not the musician, flew into town expressly to take in the Don Ho and Aliis reunion at the Dome. He used to host the entertainers whenever they visited the Big Isle, and they used to fish in his fishponds. Though he's in his 70s, Lyman is quite spry. He carries a cane but makes no secret of the fact it's hollow, the better to carry hootch without being obvious. And after downing a double Jack Daniels at the Dome, he quipped to a table mate, "This is so weak it tastes like iced tea." Not since the death of the late legend Francis Ii Brown have we seen such fortitude. (Nov. 16, 1988) ...

"The Week That Was" recalls events culled from Dave Donnelly's three-dot columns over the past 30 years. Donnelly continues to write his Hawaii column Tuesdays through Fridays in the Star-Bulletin.

Dave Donnelly has been writing on happenings
in Hawaii for the Star-Bulletin since 1968.
The Week That Was recalls items from Dave's 30 years of columns.